Chapter 277 - The Escape (2)

It was difficult finding cultivators with their own specializations, most tend to focus on the general desire of becoming a powerful immortal that could blow people away—literally in most cases. Long gone were the times where people pursued immortality with a sense of spiritualistic notion. Very few people followed asceticism and other Buddhist methods of ascension.

Except possibly for the monks.

Either way, cultivation has become something that was more brutal. A method of gaining power and influence. Perhaps that was always the way it was? Liu Guiren had no words to offer to it as his knife sank into the rare cut steak of the Nian Beast.

He brought the small cut into his mouth and tasted its rather tender flavor that was almost contrary to what one might have thought of flesh. The umami was there though and so was the essence of the sea.

Whether it was true that all life began at sea, he had no idea, but this was one of the easiest ways to acquire powers.

Preparing monster dishes that were suitable to the palate was great—so it was a shame that there weren't a lot of chef cultivators. Alchemists, at least those who were trained to create pills of immortality, were also nearly non-existent. Cultivators with powers tied to their instruments, harmonious and inflicting harm at the same time were unimaginable as ancient texts faded. 

At least on this plane.

Liu Guiren was aware and heard it all from his father who constantly insisted that the golden age of cultivation was long gone—most have already ascended into higher realms and that this planet was nothing more but a dry husk.

The man should have long been gone if he continued blabbering like that.

And yet, despite everything else, his father was stuck here just like the rest of them.

The heavens were sealed.

"Cheh." Liu Guiren did not care about that conflict. Why ascend the heavens when you could be a king on earth? He barely batted an eye at the sudden sound of explosion that echoed even in his own private quarters. 

It was just in time that Senior Longwei arrived with a rather red-faced and slightly delirious expression. 

Lady Ju Fen was great at making alcohol. 

"One of the men that was saved from the shipwreck was operating the tower and attacked an ancestral cultivator's ship." Senior Longwei slammed his hands on the table. "There was no permission to do that, but they shouldn't have a key to the tower in the first place. Who's fault is that?"

"Sounds like an excuse to me."

"You have something to do with this!" 

The man was not the kind of person to dislike violence, but he did dislike being treated like a pawn. Liu Guiren cleared his throat. "Then punish them. You have my permission to get rid of whoever was actually in charge. What about what I asked from you earlier?"

"Ying Yue He and that guy—"

"They ran away, didn't they?" Liu Guiren frowned a little. "But shouldn't they be trackable? You are the one in charge of the security on the island, Senior Longwei. Please don't tell me that these two cultivators escaped under your watch. You should not be drinking on the job either."

"If I wasn't asked to report back—forget it. I'll just chase after them. They would have taken advantage of the attacks, but they wouldn't have been able to coordinate with that ship. Would they?"

"Whatever you think is best, Senior." Liu Guiren waved at him nonchalantly. 

It was obvious in the man's expression that he didn't care at all. That was what exacerbated the Senior's temper more. What about all the resources? Energy and time spent in growing the girl's powers? Longwei was the one who did all the work but they were going to let that priceless woman away?

Unacceptable.

—-

Li Yang looked back at the island with a deep-set frown. The same invisible illusion that kept it looking like an ordinary and uninhabited place recurred and it was almost as if they had never been there before.

Compared to the others who were just relieved to have him and Ying Yue He back and even escaped without much turmoil or problems—there was an undercurrent of doubt within him. What if he had made a wrong choice?

He was expecting far more troubles, but even those who went out of the tower earlier were nothing more than grunts and greenhorns. When the spiders, snake, and other creatures from the forest arrived—all of them retreated back into the tower to hide rather than face the.

It was an apparent case of lack of harmony between the group's hierarchy.

Did it mean that most of the animals were uncontrollable and dangerous even for their own people? Would it attack anyone on sight? Somehow, that made both sense for an evil organization, but at the same time, it was an idiotic thing to have.

… Still, this was ridiculous. 

Li Yang rubbed his forehead and looked back at Ying Yue He, Mou Gu and even Hua Zhao on the ship. Shouldn't he just be happy and satisfied? Give up the questioning and simply bask in the relief of achieving what he wanted.

Ying Yue He was here with him.

"What will happen to the Liu Group and the Shen Society?" he asked.

"Considering that we were attacked first, that was kind of a declaration for war—but there are possible reparations. It kind of happens." Hua Zhao replied with a scratching of his own head. "We say peace treaty, but there are circumstances of minor scuffles. If we were able to retrieve the both of you without any pursuit, then the costs may have outweighed the benefits."

Li Yang still doubted that, knowing fully well that Ying Yue He attracted attention from the higher-ups, but he only nodded. 

"It's probably a bad time to say this—but we didn't expect that you'd just make a move like this out of nowhere." 

"I should have waited?" 

"Kind of." 

"Perhaps, but I don't have much time to waste." Li Yang told the younger man, before he went below the deck. The Quest from the Heavens didn't work out—but that was alright with him. All he wanted to do was catch his breath before he needed to focus on the main mission of seducing the heiress of the Song family. 

He looked at all of the available rooms below the deck and reached for the doorknob.

When he opened it--he realized that not only was it some broom closet, Bo Lifen was hiding inside of it. She was currently cramped and only averted her gaze when she met his face. "What are you doing there?"

"Funny question, don't ask."

—-—-

Author's Note: It's September 6, 2021 here and I just finished the last tier of privilege. It took awhile, but glad I'm done, even with the headache.. Not sure if anyone is going to purchase because I'm kind of in "no daily updates" gang, still you guys are luckier than the ones reading Races: Online though. Thank you for reading!